Penstemon plant named ‘Strawberry Taffy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Penstemon  plant characterized by large purple red flowers with white throats with a deep purple red ring at the top of the throat, dense flower clusters, long bloom time, a compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown from the base, clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Penstemon spp.

Variety designation: ‘Strawberry Taffy’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon, given the name, ‘Strawberry Taffy’. Penstemon is in the family Scrophulariaceae. This plant originated from an open pollinated cross using Penstemon ‘Raspberry Flair’, an unpatented plant, as the seed parent. This cultivar was selected for its compact growing habit, large flowers in dense clusters, long flowering time, vigor, and clean attractive look. It is an ideal plant for a sunny border in full sun.

Compared to the seed parent, Penstemon ‘Raspberry Flair’, an unpatented plant, the new cultivar has much longer bloom time, longer inflorescences, more stems from the crown, and a more spreading habit.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Pheni Magna’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,987), the new cultivar has a more compact habit and flowers that are a darker red tone and have a dark ring at the top of the white eye, rather than no dark ring. The new cultivar does not require pinching to branch.

Penstemon ‘Strawberry Taffy’ is uniquely distinguished by its:

-   -   1. large purple red flowers with white throats with a deep         purple red ring at the top of the throat;     -   2. dense flower clusters;     -   3. long bloom time;     -   4. compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown         from the base;     -   5. clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage; and     -   6. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and micropropagation using terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a close up of a one year old Penstemon ‘Strawberry Taffy’ in the summer in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2, foreground, shows a two year old Penstemon ‘Strawberry Taffy’ in bloom growing in full sun in the trail bed in July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Penstemon cultivar based on observations of two-year-old specimens grown outside in the ground in the trial beds in Canby, Oreg. in late June. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Form.—Upright, branching.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 7-10.         -   Size.—Grows to 46 cm wide and 58 cm high.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Stem number.—20 stems from the crown.         -   Stem.—Upright, grows to 40 cm long and 5 mm wide (at the             base), pubescent, internodes grow to 5 cm long, Yellow Green             146C.         -   Rooting.—Plants root easily from stem cuttings. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Entire to sparsely denticulate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Sessile.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 12 cm long and 3 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.         -   Leaf color.—Topside Green 137A, bottom side Green 137B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Terminal, many flowered, dense thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—26 on average.         -   Size of inflorescence.—Grows to 18 cm long and 10 cm wide.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 3 cm long and 4 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green N144A tinted Red Purple 59A in sun.         -   Pedicel.—Grows to 17 cm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green N144A tinted Red Purple 59A in sun.         -   Bloom period.—June through September in Canby, Oreg. if             spent blooms are removed. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—3.5 cm long and 15 mm wide.         -   Description.—Closed tubular, bulging, flattened ventrically.         -   Color.—White NN155A except Red Purple 63B on lobes and             bottom. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic, perfect.         -   Shape.—Tubular, bilabiate.         -   Size.—Grows to 4 cm long and 4.5 cm wide.         -   Corolla description.—Grows to 4 cm long and 4.5 cm wide;             tube is funnel-form in the calyx for 6 mm long and 4 mm             wide, inflating for 25 mm long to 25 mm wide, flaring into 5             lobes, the two smaller top lobes flare back (17 mm wide and             17 mm deep) and two larger lateral lobes flare out (20 mm             wide and 20 mm deep), and the lower lobe flares down (17 mm             wide and 17 mm deep), lobe margins entire, tips obtuse;             outside pubescent, inside glabrous; outside Red Purple 63A             on top of funnel and top 2 lobe backs, Red Purple 63B on             bottom 3 lobe backs, White NN155C on funnel bottom; inside             color is Red Purple 63A on lobes outer ¾, 3 bottom lobes             have a ring of Red Purple 60A which extends down their main             vein, tube is White NN155D with bee tracks of Red Purple             61A.         -   Calyx description.—10 mm deep and 7 mm wide, 5 overlapping             lobes cut to the base, each lobe broadly ovate in shape, 10             mm deep and 9 mm wide, margins entire, tip acute, base             cuneate, Yellow Green 145A and pubescent inside and outside,             outside tip and sometimes margins Greyed Purple N186C.         -   Pistil description.—1, 32 mm long, ovary 7 mm long and 3 mm             wide, Yellow Green 145A; style 25 mm long and less than 1 mm             wide, White NN155C.         -   Stamen description.—5, one sterile without an anther, held             within the corolla, filaments 2.5 to 4 cm long and White             NN155C, anthers 3 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep, Greyed Purple             N186D, pollen White NN155C.         -   Fragrance.—Slight.         -   Lastingness.—A flower lasts 5 to 6 days. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Capsule.         -   Fertility.—Good.         -   Size.—1.2 cm deep and 4 mm wide.         -   Color.—Brown 200A to B. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Irregular.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Brown 200A. -   Pests and diseases:

Excellent disease tolerance to root rot, a common problem for Penstemon. Leaf spot, rust, and powdery mildew may be a problem, but have not been observed on the new cultivar. No known disease or pest resistances. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant substantially as shown and described. 